The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission voted on July 7 to host statewide public hearings on proposed changes to the state’s wildlife management and fishing regulations for the 2012-2013 seasons.

Proposed changes include lengthening the bear hunting season in Greene, Halifax, Lenoir, Martin, Northampton, and Pitt counties and opening a bear hunting season in Edgecombe, Harnett, Johnston, Nash, Stokes, Vance, Warren, Wayne, and Wilson counties. Proposals also include changing the bear season in Yadkin, Iredell, Alexander, and Catawba counties and opening the portions of Cleveland, Burke and Surry counties that are currently closed to bear hunting.

The Commission is also proposing increasing the general statewide minimum size limit for smallmouth and spotted bass and increasing the minimum size limit for largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass in Public Mountain Trout Waters and waters in and west of Madison, Buncombe, Henderson, and Polk counties. These changes are part of an effort to standardize the general statewide minimum size limit for these species.

For full text of the proposed regulations changes, see the Proposed Changes in Fishing and Wildlife Management Regulations for 2012-2013 for Public Notice and Presentation at Public Hearings on the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission website at www.ncwildlife.com.

The meeting for District 7, which includes Ashe County, will be held on September 15 at the Walker Center on the Campus of Wilkes Community College at 7 p.m.